


that video

by erintoknow



Series: Aria [32]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Recovery, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 21:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20280208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: No more runningThis is ride or die





	that video

**Author's Note:**

> Ask Meme  
Writing Prompt: 42) things you said when you asked me to marry you

You jolt awake, back already screaming in protest from having spent the night slumped over your desk. The movement jars the computer monitor back on reminding you what you’d spent the last day doing. One continuous mistake. You shouldn’t have done it. Shouldn’t have clicked on the first article, the second was incredibly unwise, and by the third you were out of excuses.

Marshal Charge of the Los Diablos Rangers gives stirring eulogy at the funeral of Ranger Anathema and local hero Sidestep

The video must have finished playing while you were out. How many times did you watch it last night? Search the mask of her face? Micro-analyze Steel’s stoicism as he stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder?

You press your palms against your eyes until you see stars. Nightmare mixes with memory. It’s gone. It’s over. It’s over. It’s over.

You swallow down the urge to watch the video again.

The rapping on the door is practically a welcome distraction in comparison. Spring to your feet, rub the sand out of your eyes, make sure you’re decent. Prepare yourself for a fight. You can’t tell who it is, which means two things, either it’s Julia Ortega dropping by like she told you she would yesterday, or the Special Directive have decided to try the polite method of kidnapping.

When you open the door you look marginally more presentable but Julia Ortega’s eyebrows still shoot upwards in concern. “Ari! You look like crap, what happened?”

“H-hi Julia.” She’s got a box in her hands, you don’t want to make her drop it but–

“Hey, can I come in?” She asks, voice soft. “I’ve got a box of mochi in my hands.”

Your face reddens and you hurriedly step back, “Yeah, sorry. Sorry. I’m just– uh, sorry.”

She shifts the box to one hand and sweeps you into a hug with the other as she walks in. You clutch at her hand as she walks into the kitchen, puts the box down on the kitchen table. Hands free she turns to you and hold you by the shoulders. “Now, what’s going on? I haven’t heard about Adrestia in the news lately. You aren’t planning something without tell me are you?”

You shake your head. “I just– I watched the video.”

Julia frowns at that. “Video? What video?”

“I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it was a bad idea. Stupid. I’m stu–”

Julia squeezes your shoulders. “Stop that. Ari, _what video_?”

You throat pinches. “The– the one of our– my– _Anathema’s_ funeral.”

The expression on Julia’s face freezes for a moment. “Ah. _That_ video.” The two of you walk each other to the couch. Sweets can wait for a moment. “I’m..” Julia looks about the room as if she’ll find the words hiding under the furniture. “You hadn’t seen it before?”

You shake your head before sliding down against her.

Julia rubs the back of her neck. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I was a pretty sorry mess–”

You wap her knee. “Stop that. Don’t…. don’t ever apologize for that.” You take her hand in yours, massage the knuckles of her fingers. “I’m the one who should apologize.”

“Ari? You don’t have–”

“If– if I had just been braver. Said something. Before all this started. Maybe I– maybe things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

“I should have pushed harder. I…” Julia hesitates.

“You were afraid I’d run.”

“Yeah.”

“That’d I’d leave you behind again. To pick up the pieces, all over. again”

“You… you really listened to that video huh.”

“A dozen times at least.” You grip her hand hard, turning the skin over her knuckles white. “You didn’t abandon me, right? You just… thought I was… That I…”

“…yeah.”

“I’m not running. I won’t leave you– leave you behind. Not again. You look up at her, blinking the water out of your eyes. “I won’t.”

“…that’s a big promise, Ms. Becker.”

“You’re stuck with me Ortega. For– for better or worse.” You give a weak laugh, smile at her. “Probably worse, the way things are going.”

Julia shakes her head and wraps her free arm around your shoulders to pull you in closer. “You’re stuck with me too.”


End file.
